As much as I am thrilled at how my "babies" are growing up to be great kids and becoming responsible little people, I am sad at how quickly time flies.

I was digging through archives to find a print that I needed from 2005 and I found these 2 shots that I never printed. I was just messing around in a fellow photographer's studio in Crossville, Illinois, as we were shooting with each other's cameras. (I shoot Canon, she shoots Nikon)

Monday, January 28, 2008

We are officially back from our weekend away and we had a wonderful time. We stayed in a rental house in Santa Rosa Beach. The beach was our "backyard". This was the view from our back porch.

The kids had a fantastic time, but RJ NEVER wants to DRIVE to Florida again because it took 12 hours. He did not enjoy the drive at all! Thank goodness for the mp3 player that we hooked up to the car stereo. After 24 hours of driving in 4 days, RJ and Heidi can sing the chorus of a variety of songs word for word.

Wayward Son by Kansas

Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin

Gypsies, Tramps, and Theives by Cher

Casey Jones by Grateful Dead

Piano Man by Billy Joel

etc.

Obviously we aren't up on the new tunes, but the kids like our music for now.....

The kids enjoyed the bunk beds so much. Heidi wanted to sleep on the "high bed" so badly, but we were scared that she'd fall. The only time she was allowed up there, was when we took this picture. RJ spent plenty of time up there though.

The 2nd day we were there was by far the most beautiful. That was the day that we played in the sand the most and took portraits.

RJ and Heidi loved having mom and dad time more than anything though. RJ and Rick spent more time playing light sabers outside than I think Obi Won and Luke did in the entire Star Wars series. Heidi and I colored some and she just likes to be held.On the way home we stopped and showed RJ cotton from a cotton field. He wanted to take some home and make a shirt. We also stopped and showed him how red the Alabama dirt was. Rodney jumped down. He wanted to see how it felt. :)

On the way there and back, I was able to introduce my kids to my love of the Waffle House. I think it is a great injustice that you must travel to the south to be able to enjoy this gem of a place. I used to go to Florida every year with my friend from grade school/junior high. Then Rick and I took alot of trips to the panhandle before we had kids. I always want to stop at the Waffle House.

Luckily for me, We were able to stop once on the way down and once on the way home. The kids love it there too now and I can proudly state, that the tradition will go on. mmmm, waffles from the waffle house. There's nothing better!

We are glad to be home and back in our routine for a little while.

Lucky for us, we won't be home for very long. We leave for Disney next Wednesday, February 6th. (Unlucky for us, we then have a wedding pretty much every Saturday for the rest of the year.) We have to squeeze all the vacationing we can into our slower time of year.

We made a disney countdown calander during one of times that it was raining while we were gone. The kids are enjoying marking down the days. 9 days left. :)

Friday, January 25, 2008

I made Rick go to the store and buy an adapter for my laptop so I could look at my pictures.

I'm posting a few, but disregard any color casting issues. I'm on my laptop, which I don't do color correction on, so I don't trust the callibration of the monitor. So, once I get them back to the studio, I'll post professional versions of them.

And of course, Rodney the Rat traveled with us this trip. Everytime we'd turn around there he was laying in the sand. :)

Wow, the beach is so nice. I won't have any pictures to post until we get home, but I am taking plenty. :)

RJ is in shorts and a t-shirt and Heidi's wearing a sun dress. They are having so much fun. RJ wants to move here. Rick and RJ found a dead jellyfish that was then poked with a stick. That was kinda fun. RJ has been collecting dead crab legs that have washed up. He has 11 so far.

The ocean "grabbed" Heidi as she says. She fell down and was none too pleased about it. She's warming back up to the thought of it though.

We have quite a collection of shells so far. So of them are really quite nice.

We've each had our turn buried in the sand and now we are in taking a quick break so the kids can get cleaned up so we can head out and take sunset portraits on the beach.

I'm a little out of my element here and hope that they go as I imagine in my head.

RJ has seen 2 "pirate ships" on the horizion.

We've already been to an irish brewery pub. Rick and I have eaten there before (pre-children). They have $ bills all over the ceiling. RJ signed on and got to pick where it got stapled. That was cool for him.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The NFL Divisional playoffs were today. We were really in a pickle because I didn't like any of the teams.

First the New England Patriots were playing the San Diego Chargers in the AFC.

Blech. I don't like the chargers. Mainly becuase their star "LT" has a terrible attitude. I hate to think kids are looking up to him. I didn't want him to be in the spotlight.

Blech. I don't like the Patriots. Well, let's face it, because they're cheaters. They cheat. They were caught cheating and in my opinion they shouldn't have been let into the playoffs in the first place. That and their coach is the grouchiest most hateful coach in all of the NFL. CHEATERS!

The Patriots won their division and I have to assume will win the SuperBowl since they CHEAT.

Then the Green Bay Packers were playing the New York Giants in the NFC.

Blech. The Packers. I knew if they won, I would have a hard time watching the SuperBowl other than rooting for career ending injuries. I have no real reason why I don't like the Packers. I just don't. Maybe it's rivalry. Maybe it's because Jon Madden loves them enough for the both of us. I just wanted them to lose.

The Giants. Lesser of all the evils. Somehow they pulled off a win. I didn't expect it. Happy Happy Day. They kept The Pack from going to the Big Game. :) Now if they can just derail the New England Cheaters season than all will be good.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Rick and I took the kids to see a movie tonight.....I was a terrible mother "who calls herself a photographer" and didn't bring my camera. Not sure why I forgot it, but I did.

Our kids don't watch too many of the movies that come out. Now while I enjoy Shrek just as much as the next guy, Shrek calls Donkey a "jackass" in the 1st Shrek movie. While yes, this is technically correct, Heidi wouldn't know this. All she would know is that she heard jackass and would then proceed to call everyone a jackass. (to be completely honest. My niece Hannah wasn't allowed to watch movies like that when Shrek came out. She spent the night at my mom's. Watched it. :) Went back home with Brianne and proceeded to say that word over and over again. hehehe. not my kids though. It wouldn't be funny then.)

So, I usually find fault with most/all movies. The Madagascar movie couldn't be watched because the penguins kept saying that the South Pole "sucked". Little things like that irk me. I know RJ's going to be on the bus next year for Kindergarten and will probably come home saying worse than that, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

We had to search forever to find a theatre that was showing the movie we wanted to see.

"Veggie Tales: The Pirates who don't do anything"

RJ loves the Veggie Tales. He likes the silly songs that they sing and we like that we can leave the room without worrying about what's being said.

RJ laughed at this movie so loud. There were only 2 other people in the 8:30 show that we went to. (in Mattoon) The kids weren't feeling well today so it's best that there probably weren't a ton of people there. RJ loved all the parts and I'm sure will want it when it comes out on DVD.

Heidi ate her own entire bag of popcorn and then took her boots off and made me rub her feet. She was slightly less interested, but still enjoyed it. She and RJ talked about half way home until they both fell asleep.